Leather and Lace
by whitneyinwonderland
Summary: What would have happened if Opie hadn't met Lyla? When an innocent and quirky girl comes to Charming she changes his life in ways he never would have imagined. Can this relationship last the darkness that is coming to the Sons?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Felicity Whitfield had been driving for over 2 days. She had everything she owned in the back of her car and was leaving her sleepy Illinois town for the first time in her 24 year old life. Sure, she had visited other places before, but this would be the first time she had ever lived somewhere besides her parents' sprawling colonial.

She had dreamed of attending college out of state, but when her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer her senior year of high school, she felt as if she needed to stay home and care for her. Her father was the mayor of their small town and it seemed that even when her mother was at her sickest, he was always at work.

When her mother passed away right before Christmas last year, she felt as if she couldn't take any more pain. She was wrong. Her father began a deep descent into alcoholism, and in June, Felicity came home to find him hanging from his closet. Although Felicity's relationship with her father had been troubled at best, it was still almost unbearable to lose both her parents less than 6 months apart. What was even worse were the constant stares from members of their small community.

Felicity's family had been prominent members of their town, and everywhere she went she was met with pity and she was tired of it. She needed to get away and begin fresh, so she emailed her resume to a variety of different elementary schools all over the country. Since she wasn't officially licensed in any state but Illinois, she wasn't able to find a job in any of the bigger cities, but she did receive an offer to teach Kindergarten from a small town called Charming in California. Felicity knew nothing about Charming except for the fact that it would be sunny and no one there would know her name. In other words, it was perfect. Her plan was to teach there for a year and then be able to officially get her California teaching license and hopefully move on to a bigger school in a place like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

This is what brought Felicity to sell all of her possessions and leave town without telling a soul. She was absolutely terrified, but there was an excitement in the terror. A thrilling feeling completely different from anything she had felt before. She felt as if she had always been boring and predictable, if not a little quirky. She certainly had never done anything like this before. She had enough money from the sale of her parents' house to make the trip and hopefully find a small house to rent when she got there. Other than that, all she really knew was that she was to start work in about a month, which hopefully would give her enough time before to start exploring her new home and settle in.

Lost in daydreaming, Felicity hadn't even noticed the check engine light that came on in her little red Mercedes. Definitely not a car she could have afforded on her teacher's salary alone, but it was a college graduation present from her parents, and something she knew her mom had pushed for her father to buy, perhaps as a way to ease her guilt over denying Felicity the typical college experience due to her sickness. Felicity pulled out her iPhone and typed in "Mechanics". There was a shop in Charming called "Teller-Morrow" that had good reviews and one that was about 15 minutes away in the town she was driving through currently. After a second of internal debating, Felicity decided that she could make it with the engine light on for about another hour so she could finally reach her destination. That way, if she needed a rental car she could have it pick her up at the auto shop, and perhaps the Charming mechanics might even be able to recommend some things for her to do in town, or at least let her know where a grocery store might be. Felicity clicked on the Teller-Morrow destination and hit "get directions". It was 53 minutes away. Felicity felt a rush of excitement thinking that she was only 53 minutes from finally seeing her new home. Little did she know how drastically her life would begin to change once she reached her destination.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Felicity resisted the urge to take a picture of the small "Welcome to Charming" sign as she passed it on her way into town, and a few minutes later she was pulling into the Teller-Morrow mechanics shop. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous, but she shook the feeling off, telling herself this was one of the first of many things she would have to face by herself.

She pulled her small car, packed to the brim with everything she still owned, into a parking spot and noticed a man walking towards her. For some reason, she felt the need to check the mirror and make sure her long red hair was in place before hopping out.

The man was handsome, no doubt about it. He definitely was different from any of the clean-cut farm boys she was used to seeing in Illinois. He was tall, about 6'4, with long, sandy hair, a beard, and multiple tattoos peeking out from the black and leather he was wearing.

"Snap yourself out of it!", Felicity told herself. "You're here to work, not to oogle over some tall, handsome stranger.

"What can I help you with?", the man asked Felicity.

"Well, I just drove here, straight from Illinois, and I noticed about an hour ago this light was on in my car. I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong", Felicity said with a nervous laugh.

"Here, let me take a look", said the man, while climbing into the drivers seat. He had to move the seat back in order to fit, his legs were so long.

"Illinois, huh? You here on vacation?"

"Actually, I'm moving here. I'm about to start teaching Kindergarten in Charming in about a month. I needed a change, and figured if I didn't just pack up and move now, it would never happen".

The man looked up and down her small frame, obviously impressed someone who looked so feminine and breakable had the guts to head across country by herself.

"Where are you staying?", he asked her.

"Actually, I don't know yet", she replied. "Any suggestions? I just need something small. Everything I still have is in this car. I was hoping to rent a little apartment or something. I'm going to be living by myself, so I just want to make sure it's safe". She didn't know why she was telling him all of this, but for some reason, his smile made her trust him.

"Actually, I know of a little house nearby that just opened up. It's close to the school too, and should be reasonably priced. With a car like this though, I'm not sure that'll be an issue for you", he said with a smirk.

"It was a gift from my mother before she died", Felicity said blushing. "I would love to stay somewhere that doesn't take all of my paycheck each month".

"Come on in to the shop with me and I'll call the guy I know and see if it's still available and maybe you can take a look. I'm Opie", he said with a smile.

"Felicity. It's very nice to meet you. I don't know anyone here, so I appreciate your help. Is my car okay?", she asked.

Opie laughed. "You just need a little air in one of your tires. Come with me and I'll fix you up".

Felicity blushed again, embarrassed at her lack of auto knowledge. With her fair skin and freckles this tended to happen a lot, and she silently prayed Opie wouldn't notice. She didn't know why, but for some reason she was extremely attracted to him. She was 5'8, so maybe it was the fact that he was one of the few men she had met that was a lot taller than her. Maybe it was the fact that he was so different from anyone she had met before, from the leather to the tattoos. Maybe it was the fact that she knew her father would have had a heart attack if she brought home a man like this. In all actuality, it was probably his smile. Whatever it was, Felicity told herself, she needed to get over it fast. He probably had a girlfriend, and even if not he was probably attracted to someone sexy and badass, not someone like her.

After he made sure the air in her tires were all the same, she asked him how much she owed him.  
"Absolutely nothing", he replied. "It was a nice break from all the work I'm usually stuck doing to talk to a pretty girl for awhile. Let me call that friend of mine and see if the place is still available. If you're interested, that is?"

"Definitely. I truly cannot tell you how much I appreciate it".

"Do you have any big plans in Charming yet?", Opie asked.

"You mean after I unpack my two suitcases and blow up my air mattress? None!" she laughed, "Do you have any recommendations on things I should try?"

"Sweetheart, if you were expecting a glamorous California adventure, you shouldn't have picked Charming", he replied with a smirk. "Well, actually….umm, this probably wouldn't be something you would be excited about, but if you get bored tonight and you need to get out, the club is having a sort of welcome home party for some guys tonight. If you want to come and maybe meet some locals, let me know. Here's my card, just give me a call".

"Club? Like a country club?" Felicity asked.

This time Opie let out a loud chuckle. "Motorcycle club".

"Oh!" Felicity replied, blushing again. "Do you have a motorcycle?! I've always wanted to ride one!"  
"Well if you decide to come tonight I'll pick you up and you'll have your chance" Opie said smiling and handing her a "Teller-Morrow" business card with his name and number on it.

"Thank you, 'Opie Winston'", Felicity said. "I'll let you know what I decide".

Opie smiled and began to dial his friend with the available property. After a few brief minutes discussing details, he handed Felicity a piece of paper with an address written on it.  
"He's heading there now if you want to take a look. And don't feel obligated to like it at all. I just thought it might help to give you an option".

"Thank you so much! I'll head right that way!" She smiled at Opie and headed towards her car, with a little skip. "I'll call you tonight if I can get settled quickly", she turned and added, with butterflies in her stomach, shocked at her own unusual boldness.

"I'd like that", Opie said with a grin.

As he stood and watched her drive off, Opie's father Piney came up behind him.

"You better watch yourself, boy. She's not like us. Not sure what you're thinking, but be careful".

"There's no way I'll hear from her again, Pops. She was probably just being polite".

Piney turned to Opie with a stern look. "You better hope so. For your sake and hers".


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Felicity began to follow the directions to the address Opie had given her and kept replaying their conversation in her head. The butterflies from their earlier interaction still hadn't completely gone away.

"What am I thinking?!" she asked herself, "I know nothing about this man…but then again isn't that what I wanted moving here? To get out of my comfort zone and meet new people? If I go tonight, what is the worst thing that can happen? It's not like going to some little get together is making a huge commitment. And worse case scenario, I can always leave". She continued her internal debate about whether or not to call Opie later, even though deep down she knew she had made up her mind the moment he had invited her.

As she pulled around the corner and up to the address on the paper, she felt a grin breaking on to her face. It was the cutest little yellow house she could have imagined, with a big front porch and white shutters. She parked on the side of the street and excitedly hopped out to meet the property manager.

"You're Opie's friend?" he asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"Well, I guess you could say that. I just moved here and met him at Teller-Morrow. When he found out I was looking for a place he told me he would get in contact with you. I'm Felicity. This is so cute!"

"Yeah, you say that before you see the inside…ready to take a look?"

"I can't wait!" Felicity replied as they climbed the steps to the front porch. When the front door was opened, she was hit with something smelling distinctly like cats and must. There was a large floral patterned wallpaper covering the dining room to her right and a small floral patterned wallpaper covering the living room to her left. As she wandered throughout the rest of the house she noticed whoever had lived here last must have had an affinity for bright colors and loud patterns…every room, including the kitchen, had some sort of patterned wallpaper covering the walls. If that wasn't colorful enough, the one tiny bathroom had a mint green tub, toilet, and sink, and the kitchen had some lovely orange countertops. There were also two small bedrooms and a nice little fenced in backyard.

"I'll take it!" she said excitedly. "But do you think the owner would mind if I stripped some of the wallpaper? The floor plan is absolutely adorable, and everything I wanted, but I'm not sure if I can live up to this décor" she said with a giggle.

"Considering the owner is Opie, I don't think he would mind that at all. His grandmother lived here until she passed away a few years ago, and then he rented it out to another elderly lady. I think it would make renting it out to a younger crowd easier on him too if you decided to modernize the look a bit, and I bet he would deduct the cost of any supplies and labor from your rent if you wanted."

"I'm excited! I don't really know anyone here yet, and I have about a month until I start work, so a little home renovation will keep me busy. When can I move in?"

"As long as you sign these papers here, you can move in right now" the property manager answered. "Let me know if you need help carrying anything in".

Felicity signed the papers, unpacked her few belongings, and blew up her air mattress within a few hours. It was 5:00 and she wondered how early was too early to call Opie. She had a jitteriness she couldn't shake and was already beginning to worry about tonight. She knew nothing about motorcycles and had no idea what to expect. She hoped she wouldn't be the only girl, but she also hoped there would be enough people there that the presence of an unknown face wouldn't be too obvious. She hated drawing attention to herself. Despite her anxieties, she knew there was no way she would end up backing out of going. Opie made her curious and she couldn't stop thinking about him. She decided to run to the grocery store she had passed on her way here to pick up a few things for dinner and maybe a bottle of her favorite alcohol, Fireball, to give her a shot of liquid courage before calling Opie.

After making some pasta and a salad, paired with a shot of fireball in her Dr. Pepper, she picked up the phone and stared at it for a minute before hurriedly dialing Opie's number, before she could get nervous enough to change her mind.

"Hi, Opie, this is Felicity" she nervously sputtered out too quickly when his deep voice answered the phone. "The house is perfect! You didn't tell me you owned it!"

"Felicity, wow, I'm surprised you called. Glad, but surprised. I'm happy to hear the house worked out for you… So, um, what did you decide about tonight?"

"I think I would really like to come…if that's still okay with you?"

"More than okay. I can pick you up around 9?"

"Daddy, come finish the story!" a small voice interrupted on Opie's end.

"Uh, hold on baby" Felicity heard him reply.

"You have kids?" she asked with a surprised smile.

"Yeah, I have two. A boy and a girl. They're 7 and 9. They go to school where you'll be teaching, I think. Charming Elementary?" Opie replied, sounding a little nervous.

"Yes! I hope to get to meet them sometime" Felicity answered. "Where will they be tonight?"

"With my mom. That, uh, doesn't,….I mean, you still want to come? Even though I have kids?" Opie asked nervously.

"I teach Kindergarten, Opie. I love kids" Felicity replied, meaning it.

"It's just, uh, it's lost me a few dates in the past. Most girls don't really want to be tied down with a single dad, and um..,"

"So this is a date then, is it?" Felicity interrupted with a smile, another surge of butterflies racing through her stomach.

"I mean, only if you want it to be" he answered.

"I think I would like that very much" she replied, shocked again at her boldness. "Go spend time with your kiddos and I'll see you in a couple hours".

She hung up the phone, a million thoughts racing through her mind. He had kids. The idea should scare her away, but it honestly just made her like him more. The idea of a big, tough, biker raising two young kids on his own made him even more endearing. It also raised a million more questions. Where was their mom? Did they even have the same mom? What were they like? How old was Opie when he had them? How old was Opie now? Felicity was 24, so if the kids were hers she would have been 15 and 17 when they were born. She guessed Opie was about 6 or 7 years older than she was, another thing that should have scared her away, but for some reason it didn't. This move had given her courage and boldness she never would have dreamed of having in Illinois.

Speaking of boldness, what on earth was she to wear?! She didn't have many clothes she brought with her, and even less that weren't "teacher-y" knee length skirts and bright colored sweaters. After showering and loosely curling her long red hair, she decided on her one pair of jeans; if she was going to be riding on the back of a motorcycle she wanted to be able to sit comfortably. As she flipped through the few shirts hanging in the small closet she pulled out the only black one she owned, a lace short sleeved one with a sheer back. She usually wore a cami underneath, but as long as she was stepping outside her comfort zone, she was going to try to be a little sexy and wear a short bandeau instead. Her pale skin really stood out under the black lace, and she hoped it wouldn't be too risqué for the gathering. She pulled on her favorite black leather boots and went to make herself one more mixed drink before Opie arrived.

The last 30 minutes before he was scheduled to arrive seemed to tick by endlessly, and she couldn't remember the last time she had been so nervous. At 8:57 her doorbell rang, and after one last glance in the mirror she went to answer it.

Opie Winston stood on her front porch, his long hair pulled half back, dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and the same leather "vest" he had on this afternoon (Felicity would later learn that it was really called a "cut").

"You ready?" he asked with a smirk.

"As ready as I'll ever be" she replied, as he tossed her a helmet.

"Hop on sweetheart" he told her as he mounted the black Harley.

Felicity nervously complied, trying her very hardest to act smooth. Opie wasn't fooled in the slightest, but he didn't let on. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, surprised at how good he smelled, even liking the light scent of cigarettes masked by his cologne. When he revved the engine she held on a little tighter, liking how big he felt between her arms.

The further they drove, the more nervous Felicity became. She realized they were driving into the parking lot of the Teller-Morrow mechanic shop where she had met Opie earlier.

As he pulled in next to a row of other black bikes, Felicity noticed stares from other leather-clad men and women in the parking lot. She noticed girls in leather pants and bustier bra tops and realized her sheer lace back should have been nothing to worry about. As if picking up on her nervousness, Opie grabbed her hand and squeezed it, quickly dropping it and giving her a reassuring wink, all the while wondering what the hell he had been thinking when inviting her here.

"Want a drink?" he asked

"I would love one" Felicity earnestly replied, following Opie into the club, feeling like she was in a shark tank. She didn't realize how very right she was.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As Felicity walked into Teller-Morrow she noticed it was really more of a club than a Mechanics shop. There was a bar where people were lined up getting any drink imaginable, a pool table, and lots of people. Most noticeably, lots of girls. Beautiful, scantily clad girls. Felicity couldn't help but feel a bit insecure, especially when she noticed two of the girls were sitting on the lap of a dark curly headed man who wore the same type of "vest" that Opie had on, kissing him and running their fingers through his hair. If this was the lifestyle Opie was used to, there was no way she could compete.

"Don't pay any attention to Tig" he said with a chuckle, noticing her staring. "He likes the Cara Cara girls a little too much"

"Cara Cara?" Felicity asked.

"Umm, yeah. The club partners with different organizations to make a little extra money and Cara Cara Porn Studio happens to be one of them. I haven't spent much time there, though. I usually deal with some different club business", he said, gauging her reaction.

Felicity tried to act nonchalant, but in that moment, for the first time, it struck her that she was truly in a whole different world than what she was used to.

Opie, sensing her discomfort, said "Hey, let's go grab those drinks".

Felicity willingly followed him to the bar. While they were waiting in line to order a handsome blonde holding the hand of a pretty girl came up behind Opie and smacked him on the back.

"Who's your friend, Op?" he asked with a chuckle.

"This is Felicity, brother. She's new in town and I figured I would show her a different side of Charming"

"Jax Teller. Nice to meet you, darlin'" he said with a wink. "This is my old lady Tara".

Felicity had no idea what he meant by that, since the woman he was with certainly didn't look old, but she smiled and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you".

Tara looked at Felicity in a way that made her feel even more out of place than she already did. "What brought you to Charming?" she asked.

"I needed a change and when I was offered a job teaching Kindergarten here, I figured now was as good a time as any to pack up and move".

"You're a teacher? Tara asked, looking surprised. My oldest boy will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Abel"

"I hope he's in my class" Felicity said with a smile. "What do you do?"

"I'm a doctor" Tara replied. "I do surgery in the neo-natal unit"

For some reason, this made Felicity feel a little better about being here. If this beautiful, intelligent, successful woman felt comfortable around these men, Felicity could too.

"Hey, Jax and I have to go handle some club business real quick. I'll be back in 10 minutes. You okay here by yourself?" Opie asked while handing her a very strong mixed drink.

Felicity really didn't want Opie to leave her, but she nodded.

Any friendliness she originally picked up from Tara disappeared instantly once the men left. "Opie's been through a lot" she said hostilely. If you fuck with him Jax won't have much sympathy for you. Watch out".

Tara turned and walked away and Felicity began to feel very alone. A billion thoughts were rushing through her head and the mixed drink Opie had brought her, combined with the two she had at her house, was starting to kick in. All of a sudden, she noticed a collage of pictures on the wall. She walked towards it and realized they were mug shots. There was one of Jax, Opie, and many of the other men she noticed around the room.

"Opie's been to jail?" she thought. "What the hell for?"

Once again, this should have been something that was a warning sign, but it only made her more curious.

"Whatcha starin' at?" a deep voice asked, clapping a hand down on her shoulder.

"Oh! I was just looking!" Felicity said, turning to face a big older man, who sort of looked like a gorilla, and a woman, who although was probably in her early 50s, was still very beautiful. Both of them were glaring at her.

"I'm the president of this club and I don't remember seeing you here before" the man replied with a not so friendly smile. "I hope you're not nosin' around in other people's business".

"You had better hope you had an invitation here, bitch" the woman with him chimed in.

Felicity, getting more confused and upset by the moment, began to stutter, when an older man with an oxygen tank stepped in.

"She's with Opie" he informed the older couple. "I saw him invite her here this afternoon."

"That true?" the woman asked Felicity pointedly.

"Yes" was all Felicity could manage to sputter.

"Well, Piney, I trust you to tell your boy to be careful with who he extends invitations to. I don't want another Donna situation", Clay said with a smile that didn't look at all friendly.

"I trust my boy's judgment, Clay. If he thinks she's okay, she's okay" was the older man's response.

Clay just laughed and wrapped his arm around the older woman's waist, walking away.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Piney asked, noticing Felicity's eyes starting to water.

"I'm fine", she replied, embarrassed. "It just seems like no one here likes me. I just got into town this afternoon and I was so excited to get out and meet some new people. It doesn't seem like I'm having much luck making friends though" she said with a sad laugh.

"Don't mind them", Piney assured her. "Charming's such a small town, new things make them nervous. We have had some issues recently at the club and it's put some people on edge. Opie obviously likes you just fine, but I can't believe that idiot walked off and left you alone".

"He said he would be right back" Felicity said with a quick glance around. "I'm Felicity, by the way. Thank you for stepping in back there".

"Piney. Opie's old man."

"Well it's very nice to meet you, sir" she said with a smile.

"Opie! Get your ass over here, boy!" Piney yelled as Opie and Jax walked back inside. "If you're lucky enough to get a girl this pretty to spend time with you, you'd best not leave her".

"I see you met my pops" Opie said to Felicity.

"And got a warm Charming welcome from Clay and Gemma" Piney interceded.

"Aw, shit. I'm sorry. Tonight's not working out the way I had originally planned." Opie apologized.

"It's okay" Felicity replied, but Opie noticed her eyes glance towards his mugshot hanging on the wall.

"Will you come take a walk with me?" he asked her. "I want to get a chance to explain all this madness and spend some more time with you. But I understand if you want to get as far away as possible from this".

Felicity knew what she _should_ have wanted, had she been thinking rationally at the moment. But the alcohol had given her liquid courage and she still had so much more she wanted to find out about the mysterious Opie Winston.

"Let's walk" she said, grabbing his hand shyly. "It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Winston" she said to Piney. "And thank you again".

"It's just Piney, sweetheart. And you just let me know if this dipshit does anything to upset you. He'll answer to me" Piney said with a wink.

"I like your dad a lot", she told Opie with a smile as they began to walk outside.

"He's too much trouble for his own good" Opie said, leading her away from the hustle and bustle of the party. When they got to a small metal ladder outside of the building, he told her to start climbing. Even after all of the madness she had just experienced inside, Felicity suddenly felt completely at ease again. She felt comfortable and safe with Opie. When they reached the top of the ladder she realized they were on the roof of Teller-Morrow and she could see the whole city.

"This is incredible!" she said, laughing and spinning around.

Opie laughed, lighting a cigarette. "It's where I like to come to get away for awhile and think. I know this probably wasn't the most ideal first date. But I like you. And the MC is a big part of my life. I wanted to get this all out in the open before we did anything else. I don't want to hide things from you or pretend like I'm somebody I'm not. I want you to feel like you can ask me anything. And if you decide to walk out and never talk to me again I understand"

"Why were you arrested?" Felicity asked, nervously.

"I was in Chino for 5 years" Opie answered. "There was a job the club was running involving some illegal arms and explosives. My get away ride drove off and left me, leaving me to carry the weight of the fall" He looked at her pointedly, as if daring her to criticize him.

Felicity was taken aback once again. 5 years in a federal prison. Definitely not like the farm boys in Illinois. But perhaps even more surprisingly, she didn't care. She was more curious than anything.

"Were you scared?" She whispered.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life" he told her, looking her straight in the eyes. "I felt so goddamn guilty. I missed out on so many things with my kids. Are you scared of me?" He asked.

"Honestly, not scared. Just curious. I want to know so many things about you. Everything I've been brought up to believe tells me to stay away from you. But for some reason I don't want to. Tell me about Donna" she said, looking down

Opie sat down beside her and sighed, not seeming surprised she had already discovered this much of his past in the short time he had been gone.

"Donna was my wife. The mother of my kids. About a year ago she was murdered. She took a bullet to the back of her head. It was meant for me". Opie took another long drag of his cigarette.

This time, there was no hiding her shock. But instead of being rational, she ignored the voices in her head telling her to get away from the danger of being around this man and listened instead to her heart, (or maybe it was the whiskey), and looked into Opie's pain filled eyes for a moment before leaning over and kissing him gently on the lips.

"Why?" he whispered, right before kissing her back.

"I don't know" she answered honestly.

Opie leaned over and kissed her again, this time more aggressively. She reached up and began to run her fingers through his hair, surprised at how soft and clean it felt.

"I want to learn everything about you" she told him. "I'm absolutely terrified of where this might be heading and I honestly feel a little crazy right now. And I have a pretty good feeling your club is more of a gang. But I'm not ready to say goodbye to you just yet".

"You are so completely different from anyone I've ever met before" he told her. "I should be telling you to get the hell away from me. But I'm selfish and I'm not ready to say goodbye to you either"

"I think you are so sexy" she giggled, the alcohol having taken its toll.

"You're not so bad yourself, Fliss" he replied with a smile. "But when you sober up in the morning are you going to regret all of this?"

"I'll probably be embarrassed I just said that" she said. "But you can't get rid of me that easily. I do have one more question though…."

"Shoot", Opie replied.

"Have you ever…been with one of those porn stars?" she asked, blushing.

"Never" he answered honestly. "After everything I just told you, that's what you're worried about?" he said with a chuckle.

"I just want to know what I'm up against" she said, realizing she was digging herself into a deeper hole when she saw him laughing. "I mean, not that I'm suggesting we do that right now or anything. I just…I'll shut up now". She could feel her face getting redder by the minute.

"You're cute when you blush" Opie said smiling, pulling her in closer and lifting her chin up so he could look in her eyes before kissing her again. "Do you need me to take you home to your air mattress tonight or do you wanna grab another drink? There's an extra room here we can snag if Tig hasn't beaten us to it. No pressure, but I don't want to drink and drive, especially with you"

"Only if you promise to take me home on your bike again tomorrow. I don't think I could get tired of that" she answered with a giggle.

"Anything you want princess" Opie said, smiling. He felt happy and hopeful for the first time in what felt like forever, but at the same time he was wondering in the back of his mind if he would somehow ruin this, like he seemed to ruin everything else good that entered his life.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Can we be sneaky?" Felicity asked nervously as they began to descent the ladder. "I'm not so sure I'm ready for another interaction with everyone down there"

"We can try" Opie said with a laugh. "But no one's going to give you any shit as long as I'm with you. I'm sorry about leaving you earlier."

"It's okay. But I do have a question" Felicity said matter of factly.

"Well I have an answer" replied Opie.

"Do you bring a lot of girls here? What I mean is…will I ever hear from you again after tonight?"

"You're the first girl I've done anything with since my wife died. I like you. As long as you still want to hear from me, you will" answered Opie matter of factly.

For some reason this caused Felicity to get butterflies all over again.

"I guarantee you'll be done with me long before I want to be done with you" he continued.

"Why do you say that?" she asked defensively.

"Did you listen to anything I said a few minutes ago? I'm a convicted felon. I've made a lot of mistakes. It's my fault my wife was killed. You have your whole life ahead of you. Once the thrill of having a fling with a bad boy wears off you'll be long gone"

For some reason this made Felicity madder than anything else Opie had said that night. "You seriously think I'm that shallow?" she said angrily. "I wouldn't have waited around for you while you left me to get verbally attacked by your friends if all I wanted was to flirt with a 'bad boy'. Maybe I'll just walk home," she said angrily as she started to walk away.

"Wait" said Opie, grabbing her arm. "I'm sorry. Look at it from my perspective though. You're beautiful, smart…I have a GED, a dirty past, and a criminal record and that's about it. I'm not sure what else someone like you would want from someone like me besides some excitement".

"I think you're smart too, Opie. A piece of paper doesn't define intelligence. You're obviously loyal. You have this bad boy image, but I don't think that's the real you. I trust you or I wouldn't be here"

Opie let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Let's get those drinks" he said, obviously still not convinced of anything.

Felicity nervously followed him back into the clubhouse, catching Piney's eye and smiling. At least Opie's dad seemed to like her. She grabbed the beer he handed her and followed him down a hallway to a bedroom.

"No pressure, I promise" he told her, picking up on her nervousness. "I just wanted a place we could be alone. If you want the bed to yourself I'll grab the couch".

Felicity was taken aback once again. This man, with such a rough exterior, a convicted felon nonetheless, was being more of a gentleman to her than any of the boys she had dated back home had ever been. She reached up on her tiptoes and gave him another kiss, tasting the beer and cigarettes on him and not really caring.

She fingered the "Men of Mayhem" patch on his cut. "What does this mean?" she asked innocently.

Opie sighed again. "I've killed someone for the club".

Felicity stepped back, startled once again, but despite the hesitant fear in Opie's eyes, she brushed his cheek and whispered "I still feel safe with you". Instead of scaring her away, each confession Opie made to her seemed to reveal a little more of just how broken he truly was.

He leaned in, kissing her roughly and she kissed him back, reaching up to slide his cut off. He followed her lead, pulling his shirt off to reveal a muscular body covered in more tattoos before removing her shirt and kissing her again.

"Opie, wait" she whispered.

"We don't have to if you don't want to" he told her, backing up and raising his hands.

"No, it's not that. I do. But I have to tell you something. You've been so honest with me, I can't keep it from you" she told him, sitting down on the bed in her jeans and bra, looking afraid.

"It's okay" he told her. "Whatever it is, it's okay".

She sighed, and began. "When I was eleven my dad started molesting me. On nights when he would work late he would come into my room before going to bed with my mom. It started out with him touching me and telling me it was our secret and my mom would get really mad at me if she knew. It went on all through high school and I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. I was so ready to go to college and get away from it all, but my senior year my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I felt like I needed to stay home with her. It stopped for awhile after that. I don't know if he felt guilty because my mom was so sick? But the night my mom died was the worst it's ever been. He came into my room and held me down and raped me". Tears were slowly flowing down her face as she continued. "I never told anyone because I felt like it was my fault. I sort of dated this guy in college and thought he really liked me. I told him everything one night, expecting it to make things better. He told me in order to forget about it I just needed to have sex with him and get the old experiences out of my mind. I tried, but it didn't work. He was being really rough and I had a panic attack once we started, all these memories just came back. It was so embarrassing. Things didn't work out between us and I haven't tried again. I like you Opie", she said, looking up through tear stained eyes. "But I don't want you to feel like you're tied down with my baggage. And if for some reason I can't handle sex like a normal person I don't want you to think it's your fault. It's all me".

"I will fucking kill him" Opie said quietly, clenching his fists.

"My dad?" Felicity asked. "He beat you to it. He committed suicide a few months ago. That's why I came here. I have nobody but me."

"You have me now" Opie said, enveloping her in his massive arms and kissing the top of your head gently. "And we aren't rushing anything. It's if and when you're ready." He was beginning to realize that maybe she was just as broken as he was. Maybe they had a chance in hell to make something out of this if they could somehow heal each other.

"Can we just sleep tonight? I'm exhausted" she said, wiping away tears.

"Of course. You can sleep in my t-shirt if you want" he replied, grabbing it off the floor and tossing it to her. "Bathroom's right there".

She shut the door and stripped down to her panties before slipping into his soft black t-shirt. It smelled like he did-like cologne and cigarettes, and it completely swallowed her. She didn't want to ever take it off.

She walked back out to find Opie laying on the couch, shirtless and under a blanket, and took a minute to fully appreciate the glory of his shirtless torso.

"Will you sleep in the bed with me?" she asked nervously, crawling under the covers.

"Are you sure?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes please" she said, tapping the side next to her with a smile.

He slid out from under the covers to reveal he was only wearing his boxers and she felt her cheeks go red, but Opie pretended not to notice as he crawled in beside her.

She nuzzled up next to him, feeling safe in what felt like the first time in forever, despite all the reasons she knew she probably shouldn't, and was asleep in minutes. Opie fell asleep not long after, thinking to himself that if nothing else, he would make sure no one ever hurt this woman again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Felicity woke up to the sun shining through the window and her head still on Opie's chest. She was hungover and groggy, and a little nervous about how vulnerable she had made herself to him last night. His left arm was draped around her and for the first time she noticed the specifics of some of his tattoos. She lightly traced his forearm, where two adorable children were pictured in black ink. Opie opened his eyes and gave her a drowsy smile. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach again and any hesitations about last night instantly disappeared.

"Are these your kids?" she asked, still lightly tickling his arm.

"Yeah. Kenny and Ellie" he replied.

"I hope to meet them someday", she said with a smile.

"You will" he said. "They're good kids. They've been through a lot". There was a trace of guilt in his voice as he said this and Felicity once again saw pain cloud his eyes.

"You want kids?" he asked her quietly, running his fingers through her hair.

"Lots and lots of them!" she replied enthusiastically.

A trace of a smile appeared on Opie's face as she said this. "I want lots too. Supposing this were to go somewhere…would you be okay taking on kids that weren't yours? I know it's early to even think about that, but when my kids are involved it's something I have to consider. I can't put them through any more shit due to my selfishness".

"I know I could never take the place of their mom" Felicity replied nervously. "And I wouldn't try. But if this does go somewhere serious, your kids would be loved. And never made to feel any differently than kids that weren't biologically mine".

She realized the seriousness of the things she was saying, but she also realized she didn't care. Working with kids had made her understand how easily and quickly she could fall in love with them, and also how desperately kids, especially kids who had gone through what Opie's had, needed to be loved.

Opie had no words for this, so he simply leaned over and kissed her gently.

Felicity smiled and noticed another tattoo on Opie's bicep. It was a beautiful, scantily clad woman with angel wings, 'Donna' spelled out in script beneath it.

"Your wife?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah" Opie replied, looking her in the eye.

"What was she like?" Felicity asked, genuinely curious.

"She was a hell of a mom. She was strong willed and didn't put up with my shit, but stuck with me when things got bad. When I got sent to jail, things got a little rough between us. We fought all the time, even after I got back, mostly over club stuff. I'm honestly not sure if we would have made it, even if what happened to her could have been avoided. Things were starting to get better right before she died, though. Since she's been gone I have no idea what in the hell I'm doing with my life".

"You must have loved her very much" Felicity said, a little sadly, wondering deep down if even including Opie's criminal record and the fact that he had killed for the MC, the hardest part of his past she would have to overcome in order to be with him would be to live with the fact that no matter what, he still loved Donna. That was pretty impossible to compete with.

"Can I ask you something? It's pretty personal…" she continued.

"I feel like we're past the point of asking permission to talk about the hard stuff" he responded with a smile. "Better to get it all out in the open early anyways".

"Why do you do it?" She asked, looking down. "The club. The craziness. It seems like it's cost you so much. What do you get in return?"

"It's what I grew up in. My pops was one of the founding members, but things have changed a lot since it all started. Since I started, even. It used to be more about brotherhood…it's turned into violence and drugs and money. But once you're in, it's not so easy to get out. I tried, once, when Donna was still alive. Obviously, it didn't work. I'd like it if Jax and I could get things back to the way they were. But I'm not so sure even we could. The gavel changes people. Clay wasn't like he is now, not when he initially got elected Pres. And there's so much goddamn tension between him and Jax right now. It's tearing the club apart. But if you stick around long enough you'll realize the club is like family. It's not so easy to walk away from. I don't think I could ever turn my back on my brothers and be able to live with myself after".

In that moment, right then, Felicity realized there was no way she would be able to change him. The passion in his eyes was something that could never be extinguished, and even if it could, he wouldn't be the same Opie if it was gone. If she was going to stick things out, she had to accept him as he was; club and flaws and all, or she was going to have to leave before she got too attached. She realized, even as her mind was churning, she had made up her mind already. Last night, after spilling her heart to him, she knew no matter what the price, she wasn't going to be able to walk away.

"Promise me you'll always be honest with me?" she asked. "If this is going where I hope it's going we can't have secrets and lies. You don't have to tell me everything that goes on. But if you're in danger…or I'm in danger…or you've done something that might get you in trouble again…you have to tell me. I can handle the rest if you can handle that"

The hard look of determination on her innocent face surprised Opie. "You're not always going to like what you hear" he told her honestly.

"I didn't figure I would", she answered. "And Opie?"

"Yeah?"

"The stuff I told you last night…I haven't really told many people about it before. And I'm not trying to rush things. But, well, I'm not planning on really seeing anyone else, and I was just wondering…"

"Don't worry" he said rolling over and pinning her on her back. "The only person I want to see right now is you"

She smiled and pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him just as the bedroom door was opening.

"Woah, Op, sorry I didn't realize your company stayed last night" said Jax with a smirk.

Felicity could feel her freckled face turning red again.

"What do you need man?" Opie asked, sounding annoyed and rolling to the side again.

"Clay wants you and Tig to go with him to talk to Oswald. Sorry about the timing, man" Jax said with a laugh.

"Alright. Let me take her home and I'll be back here in 20 minutes" Opie replied looking less than enthused.

"No man, now. Clay has zero patience at the moment. I'll take her home" Jax answered.

"You okay with that?" Opie asked Felicity.

"Umm, sure" she replied, but the thought of being alone with Jax did make her nervous.

Jax shut the door and Opie got up and began putting his jeans back on. Felicity went back in the bathroom to freshen up and change back into her clothes from last night, hoping that last night and this morning meant as much to Opie as it meant to her and that she would see him again. She walked out, tossing him his black t-shirt, marveling once again at his shirtless body. She couldn't get over just how _strong_ he was.

"Hey, I'll call you later, okay?" He promised.

"Okay" she smiled as he leaned over to kiss her.

She followed him back into the club, a little nervous to be around all the biker men again, but Jax seemed friendly enough.

"Follow me, sweetheart" he said.

Opie gave her a reassuring smile and she walked with Jax to the parking lot where to her surprise he led her not to a motorcycle, but a black SUV.

"Tell me where I'm taking you, darlin'" he told her.

"I'm actually renting Opie's grandma's old place" she said shyly.

This caused Jax to laugh. "No way?" We spent a lot of time in that backyard growing up.

"So you've known each other a long time then?" She asked him, making conversation.

"Cradle to grave" he replied with a smile. "Hey, listen. You seem like a nice girl. And Opes obviously likes you. But he's had a rough year. Be careful with him, ok?"

"Yeah, he told me about Donna. I can't imagine" she answered softly.

"Ever since she's died, he's been a different person. Don't tell him I told you this. But it's like he's had a death wish"

"Death wish?" Felicity asked, surprised.

"When he's done stuff for the MC he's been fucking careless. Listen, sweetheart, I don't want to scare you. But if you're about to get involved with all this, you need to know what you're in for. We had a job a few days ago and Opes blew up a goddamn meth lab and he barely tried to make sure he got himself out alive"

Noticing the shock on her face, Jax continued. "The club is involved in some dangerous shit. And normally, we're okay. But he hasn't had an ounce of self-preservation in him since Donna's death. If you stick this thing out, just realize that beneath that rough exterior Opie has a heart of gold that's broken right now. Be careful with him, okay?"

Felicity wondered if her own self-preservation was lacking as she nodded. Once again, instead of being scared, she just felt for Opie. She wondered if he would ever be able to rid himself of the pain and guilt. Selfishly, she wondered if there was any way she could ever live up to Donna in his mind.

As Jax pulled up to her little house she smiled at him. "Thanks for the ride. And everything else. I hope to see you again".

"Me too, kiddo" he replied with a wink. "I'm rooting for you".

She walked up the driveway with a million thoughts racing through her mind, hoping that in the process of trying to save Opie she wouldn't lose herself and realizing she was already in too deep to even care.

 **Author's Note: The timeline for this is season 2, right before Opie would have met Lyla. The story is going to begin follow the SOA timeline a little more closely. It's going to pick up at season 2, episode 4 and follow that storyline. We will see if Felicity can save Opie where Lyla couldn't.**


	7. Chapter 7

xcChapter 7

Felicity stepped out of the shower, checking her phone and feeling a bit disappointed that Opie still hadn't called her.

"Get a grip" she told herself. "It's been an hour!"

In order to keep herself busy and to not keep thinking of Opie like some lovesick teenager, she decided to run to a few stores around town and pick up some things for the house. She threw on some yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt and ran to the only home improvement store in Charming, buying some wallpaper stripper and a few gallons of neutral paint. On her way back home she passed a secondhand furniture store and purchased a simple wood queen size bed and mattress and scheduled a delivery to her house for later that afternoon.

When she got home she poured herself into working on the house, first stripping all the wallpaper, then beginning to paint the walls. The hours passed, her bed was delivered and assembled, she ate dinner, and still no word from Opie. She began to grow worried. Was last night just a one-night stand?

At 6:03 P.M. her phone rang.

"Opie!" she answered, much too eagerly.

"What, did you think I forgot you?" he asked with a smile.

"No" she replied defensively and he pretended to be fooled.

"Hey, I'm sorry, today kind of slipped away from me. There's some crazy shit going on with the club".

"It's okay" she replied. "Would you maybe want to come over?" she asked, nervously doodling on a piece of paper as she spoke. "Or do you have plans for tonight?"

"I would love that, but I've been gone from my kids all day. Everyone's been giving me shit about not spending enough time with them, so I feel like I can't bail on them again tonight".

"Oh, okay" she replied, obviously disappointed.

"Hey…how would you feel about maybe coming over here tonight? I know it's not an ideal date, but you could meet Ellie and Kenny and they'll be going to bed soon anyways".

"I would love that" she replied enthusiastically.

"I'll send you my address. Come over whenever"

As she hung up she panicked about what to wear. She was still in her paint stained clothes from earlier, and she debated leaving the yoga pants on in case she stayed the night, before remembering how much she had liked sleeping in Opie's shirt. She threw on the same jeans from the night before and a fitted white t-shirt before hopping in her car and driving to the address he had texted her.

As nerve wrecking as last night had been, she was even more nervous walking up to his front door to meet his kids. What if they hated her? She quickly rang the doorbell before she could lose courage and back out, and Opie answered in jeans and a t-shirt, his long hair tucked in a beanie.

"You came" he said with a surprised smile.

"You invited me" she replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, of course. Come on in" he gestured.

His house was nice, but it was obvious he was a single dad. There was clutter everywhere, but it was clean. Remnants of a macaroni and cheese dinner were on the table and toys littered the floor. The sound of children's' laughter came from a room down the hall.

"You wanna meet the kids?" He asked, gesturing towards the hallway.

"Yes please" she replied with a nervous smile.

He led her down the hall to Ellie's room where a blonde little girl and a brunette boy were playing with Legos.

"Kenny, Ellie, this is Felicity" he told them.

"Do you wanna play with us?" Ellie asked.

"I would love to" Felicity replied, smiling.

"We're building Cinderella's castle" Ellie said.

"No, we're building an airplane" Kenny interrupted adamantly.

Felicity laughed and sat down beside them. "Let's build both. I'm sure Cinderella needs a plane to fly her places now that her carriage is a pumpkin again".

For the next hour or so the four of them worked on their Lego masterpieces and Opie couldn't remember the last time his kids had laughed so much. He kept sneaking looks at Felicity and she genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Okay, kids, bedtime" he told them, glancing at the princess clock on Ellie's nightstand.

"Dad, come on" Kenny grumbled.

"You know the drill, kiddo" Opie told him. "Bed".

"Will you come back?" Ellie asked Felicity anxiously. "I like you".

"I like you too" Felicity said smiling. "And I would love to come back, as long as it's okay with your dad"

"Dad, please?!" Ellie begged.

"She can come over whenever she wants" Opie told Ellie, but he was looking at Felicity intently when he said it.

Felicity felt herself blushing once again and smiled.

"I've got to put these monsters to bed" Opie told Felicity. "Feel free to grab a beer from the fridge. It's past their bedtime, so they should fall asleep soon and I'll come join you?"

"Okay" she replied shyly.

About 15 minutes and a few stories later, Opie came out to find Felicity sitting on his couch drinking a Miller Light and watching t.v.

"They think you're great" he told her, twisting off the top of his own beer and sitting down beside her.

"They're great" she told him, genuinely meaning it. "You've done a good job with them".

"I can't take credit for that" he replied, looking down. "Donna raised them pretty much singlehandedly while I was gone and since she died I haven't really been father of the year" he said, pulling the label off of his beer. "I've pawned them off on my mom more times than I can count, and I volunteer for club shit I don't need to to avoid coming home. I know it's not fair to them, but I just don't know how to be a good dad".

"Well beating yourself up over it isn't going to do any good" said Felicity. "Learn from your mistakes and work on changing that. They're crazy about you and you do great with them. Try to focus on making them more of a priority, though".

Opie looked up, surprised at her bluntness.

"Sorry, I know that wasn't my place. But they're great kids and they've obviously been through a lot. They deserve a dad who's all in".

"You're right" he told her. "Do you think I'm a piece of shit?"

"No. I think you're a guy who's been dealt a rough hand and isn't sure where to go next. And look on the bright side" she said with a sad laugh "you're already a better dad than mine ever was"

Opie clenched his fists, obviously angry at the mention of her father.

"Hey, it's okay" she told him, reaching over and brushing his ring filled hand. "I've made my peace with it, or at least tried to. And it feels good to finally have it out in the open".

He brushed the hair out of her face and slowly leaned over to kiss her.

She kissed him back, softly at first then more intently.

"Do you wanna stay the night?" he hoarsely whispered, breaking away and running his fingers through her long red hair again.

She nodded and he got up and grabbed her hand, leading her down the hall to his bedroom, lightly pushing her onto his king sized bed and kissing her again. She reached up and pulled his beanie off, letting his long hair cascade down, and he started to pull her shirt up, questioning her with his eyes and only proceeding when she nodded that it was okay. He unhooked her bra as she pushed off his cut and impatiently pulled off his black t-shirt. He grabbed one of her milky white breasts in his hand, marveling at how beautiful she was.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, as she reached to unhook his giant belt buckle.

The hesitation in her eyes caused him to stop what he was doing immediately. "Not tonight. Only when you're ready" he told her adamantly.

She bit her lip and nodded, trying not to tear up.

"Look at me" he told her, lifting her chin. "I like you. And do I want you? Christ, yes. But this is something that can wait. If we do this before you're 100% sure of it you'll end up resenting me and I'm not running the risk of fucking anything up with you. Come here", he told her, wrapping her in his big arms and kissing the top of her head.

She snuggled up to him, reveling in the scent of his cologne mixed with cigarettes. "Thank you" she whispered. "And I promise, I want to. I'm just scared. It's never been a positive experience for me. And I want it to be with you".

"We've got nothing but time, sweetheart" he assured her, kicking his black boots off and tossing her his t-shirt to sleep in again. She cuddled up to him, close, and not much later they both fell asleep.

Around 5:30 A.M. Opie's cell phone started ringing.

"What?" he asked, obviously annoyed. "Okay, I'll be there"

"I have to go into the club" he told Felicity when she looked at him with sleepy eyes.

"Fuck, my mom's out of town. I'm gonna have to take the kids with me" he muttered to himself.

"Let me watch them" she told him.

"You don't have to do that" he told her.

"I know. But I like them. I want to get to know them better" she replied.

"You sure?"

"Positive.

"Thanks, Fliss. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it" he told her, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before sliding on his cut. "I'll give you a call as soon as I can".

Felicity went back to sleep, but was awakened a few hours later by a voice at the door.

"Daddy?" Ellie asked.

"Sweetheart, Daddy had to go into work". Felicity answered, hopping out of bed. "I'm gonna hang out with you today if that's okay? He'll be home later"

"Come play!" Ellie said excitedly, grabbing her hand and leading Felicity to her bedroom. Not much longer, Kenny was up and after an easy cereal breakfast the three of them spent the morning playing outside.

Around noon, Felicity brought the hungry kids inside. In the middle of making PB & Js for lunch, the doorbell rang.

Felicity opened the door to an angry and worried looking Piney.

"Everything okay?" she asked him, nervously hoping nothing had happened to Opie.

"You're here?" he asked, obviously surprised. "Are the kids here too?"

"Yeah. I was just in the middle of making them lunch. Is that okay with you?" she asked, worried he was upset an almost stranger was alone with his grandkids.

"I saw Opie riding off with Jax and Clay on their bikes and I knew my ex was on a cruise this week. I thought the dumbass had left the kids alone", he told her apologetically.

"Gramps, Felicity's was more fun than Nana" Kenny said, running into his grandfather's arms from the kitchen for a hug.

Piney gruffly laughed. "Thanks, sweetheart" he told Felicity genuinely. "I can tell they're in good hands. I hope to see you around" he told her with a wink and after kissing both of his grandchildren goodbye, he hopped on his three wheeler and was gone again.

After eating lunch and a few rounds of Trouble, Felicity's cell phone rang.

"Hey, Ope, the kids are great" she said with a smile thinking that was the reason for his phone call.

"Felicity, I hate to put this on you" he said urgently. "But Chibs, a guy in the MC was just in a horrible accident. There was an explosive in a truck he was in. They're rushing him to the ER and I really need to be there. He's critical. Can you stay with the kids a little longer? I hate to do this to you".

"It's not a problem at all" she told him. "I hope everything's okay. Don't worry about us at all".

"You're an angel" he replied. "I'll see you as soon as possible".

Felicity tried to not show Ellie and Kenny how worried she was and they spent the rest of the day playing. Was this how every day with Opie would be? Why on earth would someone want to blow a truck up? The more she thought about it the more she realized she didn't want to know, so she just said a silent thank you prayer that Opie was safe.

After ordering pizza for the kids for dinner and still not hearing anything more from Opie, she told them it was time for bed.

"Will you read us a story?" Kenny asked.

"Of course" she replied with a smile.

"Can we sleep in Dad's bed? All of us?" Ellie asked.

Felicity didn't have the heart to tell the tiny girl no, so they all snuggled up in Opie's king size bed with a few books. Before too long both kids drifted off to sleep and Felicity couldn't help but nodding off herself shortly after, the play filled day having worn her out.

Opie walked into the house around 10:30 PM.

"Fliss?" he softly called.

Not hearing a reply, he walked down the hall to find her curled up in his bed, his two children snuggled up to her on either side. Smiling, he softly kissed her on the forehead and after pulling off his jeans and boots crawled in beside them, thankful that after such a pain filled day, he got to come home to this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone reading and reviewing my story. I started this after I watched "Laying Pipe" as a way to deal with the things I was feeling at the end of that episode. It began originally as a story for myself, and as an avid FanFiction reader, I decided to publish this on the site just for fun, never expecting people to actually read it. The reviews and favorites have been overwhelming and I just wanted to thank you all for your support. I am glad there are others who loved Opie as much as I did! On a side note, I just finished the series finale last night, and am feeling broken-hearted once again. SOA is such an incredible show and I will deeply miss it! Thankful I have writing as an outlet to visit the world of Charming again. I am taking some creative liberty with this chapter and one of the major events that happened in season 2.  
**

Chapter 8

Felicity awoke early, smiling when she looked over and realized Opie had crawled into bed with her and the kids the night before. As much as she wished she could stay in bed with them all day, she had to go into the school for a pre-semester staff meeting and prepare her classroom for Meet the Teacher night tonight. She knew Opie had had a long day yesterday, so she left a note instead of waking him before heading home to shower and head to the school.

 _Opie,_

 _I had to go to school to get ready for Meet the Teacher tonight at 5. I hope to see you there. I have my lunch break from 11-12. I'll send you a text then. The kids were great yesterday and we had the best time!_

 _Felicity_

The hours at the school seemed to drag on. First there were introductions to the other staff, followed by meetings, then finally she was able to go to her classroom. The others she worked with seemed nice enough, but they also all seemed to have known each other from high school. She couldn't help but feel like an outsider.

In the middle of hanging an alphabet poster in her new room, there was a knock.

"Opie!" she said happily when she noticed his leather clad frame standing in the doorway.

"Hey Fliss" he said, smiling. "I brought you lunch. Hope that's okay?"

"Really? Opie, you're the sweetest!" she exclaimed, taking the bag filled with hamburgers and French fries he held out for her.

"It's the least I could do after everything you did for the kids yesterday" he said, sheepishly.

"Opie, I adore your kids" she replied genuinely. "Yesterday was one of the best days I've had in a long time".

Another knock interrupted their conversation. It was the principal of the school.

"Can I help you Mr. Winston?" he asked, sternly.

"I was just leaving" Opie replied, harshly.

"He's with me" Felicity answered at the same time, not breaking eye contact with her new boss.

"I didn't realize you had a child in Kindergarten Mr. Winston" the principal.

"I don't" Opie replied firmly, daring the shorter man to challenge him.

"And I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to have visitors for lunch" Felicity chimed in, politely, but with conviction.

Opie smiled at her, a bit surprised she was taking up for him.

"It's okay Fliss" he assured her. "I have to get to the shop anyway".

"Will you be back tonight?" she asked anxiously. "I mean, I'm sure it would be good for you to meet the kids' new teachers" she added on, trying to hide how desperately she wanted to see him again.

"We have some club business later, but I'll try" he answered, surprising himself. He usually wasn't a 'meet the teacher' kind of guy, but he really did want to show Felicity he was making more of an effort to be involved in the kids' lives.

He left her classroom, pushing past the principal who was still standing in the doorway.

"Miss Whitfield, I know you're new to Charming, so I'll give you a warning" he told Felicity. "There are some folks in this town you just want to stay away from. Most of them wear leather on their backs".

" I think I can make character judgments for myself, thank you" she answered boldly.

"Suit yourself" the principal replied. "Just make sure you don't let your outside life interfere with your work", he told her with a pointed finger before walking away.

Felicity spent the rest of the day putting the finishing touches on her classroom and seething over what the principal had said to her and the way he treated Opie. "Stupid, judgmental small town", she told herself. You just had to spend 5 minutes with Opie to realize despite his rough exterior, he was a gentle giant with a heart of gold. She wasn't going to let anyone, including her new boss, scare her away with spending time with him.

Ten minutes before parents were due to arrive, Opie appeared at her door again.

"You came!" she said, obviously surprised.

"Hey, I told you I was going to try harder with the kids. Don't act so surprised" he told her with a smile. "I hope I didn't get you into trouble earlier…"

"No" she interrupted firmly. "You made my day. Thank you so much for lunch". She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips, not noticing a man in the hallway who stopped and stared a little too long at Opie's cut, before dialing a number on his cellphone and walking towards the fifth grade hallway.

"Ellie's teacher is in room 178 and Kenny's is in room 254" she told him, breaking away with a smile. "I checked the roster this morning".

"Thanks Fliss. I really can't stay long, but I thought it might help the kids if I explained to their teachers a little of what they've been through in the past year, but I might not see you again before I have to head out, and I'll probably be gone late tonight".

"Does this have to do with what happened to your friend last night?"

His lack of response was her answer. "Opie, please be safe" she pleaded. "Who has the kids?" she asked.

"Gemma and Tara". He replied

Felicity was obviously a little disappointed. "If you need me to get them, when I'm done here I can" she said, looking down a little nervously. "I can take them back to your house and maybe see you when you get home?"

"I'll let Gemma know and send you her address". he told her with a smile.

She grabbed his hand for a quick squeeze before he headed off to meet their teachers.

Most of the parent's of her future students seemed sweet and excited for their kids to finally begin school, but there was one man who struck her as a bit odd. His child wasn't on her roster, but he was insistent he had a kid in her class. He seemed more interested in her and what brought her to Charming than anything that had to do with school, and he just gave Felicity the creeps. She was thankful he was the last parent of the night.

She headed towards her car in the parking lot, typing a quick text to Opie as she walked.

 _Sorry I didn't get to tell you goodbye. Hope everything goes well tonight. I'll take the kids…_

All of a sudden, two arms grabbed her from behind, knocking her cell phone out of her hand. She tried to scream but a hand holding a cloth covered her mouth, and in seconds, she blacked out.

Felicity awoke more scared than she had ever been in her life, hanging by her wrists from the ceiling, her mouth gagged.

She noticed a large group of men wearing masks.

"This is nothing personal, sweetheart" the man told her with a nasty smirk. "Just a message I trust you to relay to whoever you're fucking in SAMCRO to back off, or what we're about to do will happen again, only next time we won't leave you alive after".

"We were going to grab Clay's old lady, but when I saw you at the school cozying up to that Son, I called the boys and told them you were a mite prettier and younger to boot. You'll get the message across the same as she will, but I'd rather fuck you.", chimed in another man; Felicity recognized his voice as the dad who had creeped her out at school.

She tried screaming through her gag, but it was no use. She felt tears pouring down her face.

"After what happened tonight with SAMCRO this probably isn't even necessary, but I'm not passing up a chance at nice young pussy", another masked man added. "But you probably haven't heard yet, have you sweetheart? SAMCRO tried to come after us as revenge for what we did to that Irishman last night, but we set them up. They're all rotting away in jail cells now. You won't likely see your loverboy for quite some time".

As terrified as Felicity was for her own life, her heart sunk even more at the thought of Opie in jail. And what would happen to his kids?

A hard blow to the side of her head shook her from her thoughts, and the men began violently ripping her clothes off while simultaneously beating her.

"Looks like the carpet matches the drapes, eh fellows?" one of the disgusting men said, pulling her red hair, before violently entering her.

Felicity tried to pretend she was somewhere else, the same way she had when she endured the horrors her father put her through. She tried to think only of Opie and of his kids. Of the good things that had happened the past week. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't drown out the pain.

Once all the men had had their way with her, and she was beaten black and blue, they cut her to the ground, completely naked and freezing. She curled up in a ball and the world went black.

Opie began to head home on his bike. An hour earlier, he had pulled up just as the club was being handcuffed and thrown into a police car, late to the action himself because he had lost track of time at the school. It was nice talking to his kids' teachers and being (almost) completely honest about what they had been through. Both Kenny and Ellie's teachers seemed understanding, like they genuinely wanted what was best for his kids too, and neither passed judgment.

But because of that, he was out here while the club was locked up. He was kicking himself for not being there when they needed him. He was ready to get home to Felicity, hoping she could help him escape the shittiness of his evening, at least for a little while.

But to his surprise, when he pulled in, the house was dark and her car was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she took the kids to her place? He thought, walking inside the dark house and calling her on her cellphone.

When she didn't answer, he began to worry. He called Gemma to see what time she had picked the kids up.

"The kids are still here, Opie" Gemma responded when he called. "She never came".

He wondered if she had gotten into trouble for being seen with him at her job again and decided she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. The thought made him panic a little. He hadn't known her for very long, but the changes she had been making in her life in the short time he had were big ones. She would have at least sent him a text if that were the case, wouldn't she? And he didn't think she would ever do anything to disadvantage Ellie and Kenny.

He hopped in his truck to go get the kids from Gemma, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

Wayne Unser left Gemma Morrow's house with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was there when Gemma had gotten the phone call from Opie, telling her Felicity would be there to pick up the kids. Gemma had actually seemed happy Opie had found someone forcing him to make an effort with them. He was also there when Opie called back saying he hadn't heard from Felicity. Something just didn't seem to fit.

He was probably just on edge after the arrest of most of SAMCRO, but even so, he thought he would do a quick patrol around Charming before heading home.

As he drove past an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, he noticed a red Mercedes sitting in the parking lot. It struck him a little odd, especially because there were no other cars around, and when he saw the Illinois plates, his heart sank. That was where Opie's new lady friend was from.

He got out of the car and jogged to the door of the warehouse. The door was open, but it was pitch black inside.

"Hello?" he called, walking forward.

He nearly tripped on the body of a young girl, and for a moment he thought she was dead, until she started screaming at him.

"No, no please not again" she yelled pleadingly, tears streaming down her face.

"It's okay sweetheart" he told her, "I'm with the police. I'm going to get you out of here"

She continued sobbing, obviously confused.

Unser noticed, embarrassed, that she wasn't wearing any clothes. He found a dirty blanket nearby and wrapped her in it before picking her up and taking her to his car. In the light of the parking lot, he realized just how bad of shape she was in. She was literally covered in bruises, one eye almost completely swollen shut.

"Do you have any family I can call, sweetheart?" he asked, gently laying her across the backseat.

"Opie" she whispered. "I want Opie".

Unser sighed. He didn't want to know what seeing her like this would do to Opie. He was still beating himself up over Donna's death. And chances had it, her connection with Opie and the Sons was likely what got her in this situation.

"Do you have any family, even out of state?" he gently prodded, driving as fast as he could to the hospital, lights on and sirens blazing.

"They're all dead. I want Opie" she insisted.

"Okay, sweetheart, I'll give him a call when we get you taken care of" he answered, pulling up to the door of the ER and hopping out.

He carried her inside, pushing past a line of people waiting.

"She needs help immediately" he firmly shouted. "Get her to a doctor now".

A nurse hurriedly came forward and led them to a room in the back of the hospital. Noticing Felicity wasn't wearing anything, she grabbed a hospital gown and gently eased her into it. She was still crying and repeating "Opie" over and over.

Wayne sadly exited to the hallway to give Opie the phone call while the nurse examined and questioned Felicity. He was dreading Opie's reaction.

"Where is she?" Opie asked, slamming the ER doors open. "Where's Felicity?"

"I'm sorry sir, I'm under strict orders to not allow visitors in to see Miss Whitfield at this time" the receptionist told him.

"No, he's okay" Wayne Unser interrupted. He had been standing in the waiting room waiting for Opie. "Come on, son", he told him, leading him back.

"What the fuck happened?" Opie asked. Unser hadn't explained the extent of her situation on the phone, just that she was very hurt and in the ER.

"Opie, son, you've got to calm down before you see her. You're just going to upset her more" Unser answered, walking with Opie to Felicity's room in the ER.

"We think she was kidnapped walking to her car from the school. She was taken to a warehouse and brutally beaten she was raped multiple times. From what she's told us about the comments the men made to her, and a swastika tattoo she noticed on the wrist of one, we think it was Zobelle. One of them must have had a kid at the same school she works at and saw her with you. After the setup at the church, the rest of the guys met him at the warehouse and took a go at her".

Opie stopped dead in his tracks, fighting back tears.

"This is my fault" he said, punching a wall. "I can't see her again".

"You look at me, Opie Winston" Unser said, grabbing the larger man by the wrist. "As true as that may be, you're the only person this poor girl has in the world. It would likely kill her if she thought you didn't want anything to do with her anymore. She'd blame it on herself and think it was because of this. Your names pretty much the only thing she's been saying for the past hour".

"She's been asking for me?" Opie asked incredulously.

"Opie, I don't know how long you've known this girl, or what you've done with her, but she obviously cares about you a lot. She really doesn't have anyone else. I know you're dealing with shit of your own, but if you do anything to hurt this girl, you're going to answer to me" Unser replied, leading Opie to Felicity's room. "I'm warning you, she doesn't look good, and she's really confused. Be gentle with her".

Opie slowly opened the door and what he saw laying in the bed knocked the wind out of him. Felicity was covered in cuts and bruises, he couldn't imagine what she had been through.

He gently brushed the hair out of her face, not wanting to wake her, but her eyes fluttered open.

"Opie?" she whispered, a smile breaking out on her battered face. "Is this a dream?"

"No, Fliss, I'm here. I'm not leaving", he said, taking a seat next to her bed.

"I thought you were in jail" she said, tears streaming down her face again. "I thought I was going to have to be all alone".

"No, you won't be alone at all" he assured her. "I missed most of the action with the club. I'm here".

"Don't leave me" she continued, sobbing.

"I won't, It's okay. I'm here". He reassured her over and over again until she finally fell asleep.

A nurse knocked on the door a few minutes later. "I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours are over".

"If you think I'm going to leave her after what she's been through, you're out of your goddamn mind" he answered threateningly.

The nurse, a little scared of Opie's cut, just nodded, resigned, and left the two alone again.

Opie looked at her sleeping frame, wondering how she would ever be able to recover from what she had been through. Life didn't seem to be cutting her many breaks, and once again, he realized that although she was so different from him, they had their pain in common. It wasn't much longer before he fell asleep too, his hand protectively on top of hers.

Felicity awoke the next morning, and although she felt sore all over, her head had cleared considerably with a good nights sleep, and her heart fluttered when she realized Opie hadn't left her side all night.

She squeezed his hand that was still covering hers and his eyes opened.

"Thank you for staying" she told him smiling.

"Fliss, I am so sorry. I know that doesn't mean shit. But I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again".

"It's not your fault" she assured him.

"What happened?" he asked her.

She recounted the gruesome story for him, every little detail. By the end of it he was seething.

"I will find them and kill them all" he promised, clenching his fists.

"The best thing you can do for me is to stay out of trouble" she insisted. "I need you right now" she told him, tears flowing down her face again at exposing her vulnerability.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere" he insisted, kissing her forehead.

There was a knock at the door.

"Hey, sweetheart" said a man with a thick Irish accent.

Felicity tensed for a minute until she realized he was wearing the same leather cut Opie was.

"Chibs, you're breaking out?" Opie asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, they're cutting me loose" he said with a wink.

"It sounds like the same bastards that put me in here got to you" Chibs told Felicity. "I promise you those fuckers will pay. Until then you've got protection from all of SAMCRO.

Felicity blushed, unsure of what to say. Their exchange was interrupted by Opie's cellphone ringing.

He went to the hall to answer it, giving Chibs a look that meant he wasn't to leave Felicity's room.

"You've been brave, sweetheart" Chibs told her with a smile.

"I hope I haven't made things worse for the club" Felicity answered, looking down.

"After the hell you've been through, that's what you're worried about?" Chibs told her. "We can take care of ourselves, and from now on we'll take better care of you too".

Felicity gave a shy smile. She definitely liked this man more than some of the other SAMCRO members she had met.

Opie came back in, looking mad. "That was Jax. Gemma's got a few tricks up her sleeve to try and get bond for the guys. But until then the club needs me to go do something. I'm sorry Fliss, but Unser will be right outside your door if you need anything. I promise you'll be safe. Your doctor said you should be able to leave later this evening if you get enough rest anyway".

Felicity, obviously disappointed he was leaving her, nodded. She was feeling a little drowsy. She didn't realize her IV was filled not only with pain meds and fluids, but with a sedative to make her sleep.

"I'll be back as soon as I can and then you're coming home with me, okay? I don't want you alone" Opie added.

She nodded and smiled as he reached over to give her a kiss, and before he even left the hospital, she was fast asleep again.


End file.
